ere not away in twenty-four
hours. It is one method of a thousand."

"You know so much," Duncombe said. "I have no doubt that you know the
one thing which I would give years of my life to be satisfied about."

The boy's dark eyes were fixed steadily upon his.

"Sir George," he said, "there is nothing which I can possibly say to
you. My warning has been exceeding foolish, but after all if I can
persuade you to leave Paris I shall have done no great harm. As for the
cards--well, I must plead guilty to weakness there. I have not the
slightest objection to taking the life of a man who is making a nuisance
of himself, but his honor I think one should not tamper with. May I
offer you a cigarette? Well, Louis, what luck?"

The Baron had strolled back into the room, and was sitting on the arm of
a chair.

"It will be all right directly," the Baron answered. "We have three, and
old D'Arcon has telephoned that he will be here in five minutes."

Duncombe rose to his feet.

"It was really very careless of me," he said, "but I completely forgot
that I had an engagement at the hotel at six o'clock. I am afraid that I
shall not be able to stop."

The Baron glanced quickly at his young friend. There was nothing
whatever to be learnt, though, from his pale, boyish face. His own
countenance had darkened for the moment, but he recovered his composure
immediately.

"As you will," he answered carelessly. "Perhaps you can drop in later.
Come and dine, will you, at half-past eight?"

"I am much obliged to you, Baron," Duncombe said, "but I cannot accept
your invitation. I am a lover of plain speaking, so I will not plead a
previous engagement. But the one thing I want from you, the thing which
I have almost a right to demand, you will not give. I do not feel,
therefore, that any more than ordinary intercourse is possible between
us."

The Baron bowed gravely.

"My dear Sir George," he said, "I am answered. I wish I could drive out
of your mind that extraordinary hallucination relative to my supposed
knowledge of your young English friend. It is impossible! Very good! I
shall look forward to a time, Sir George, when we may meet on a better
footing."

Duncombe left the hotel with the recollection of that curiously ironic
smile fresh in his mind.

CHAPTER XII

THE SHADOWING OF DUNCOMBE

For three days Duncombe saw nothing of Spencer. Three long days devoid
of incident, hopelessly dull, aimless, and uninteresting. On